


College But Make It *Fun*

by Sansinger



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Asexual Character, Comedy, Crack Treated Seriously, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/F, Families of Choice, Gen, Ichirin has little chill and is horny on main all the time, Neurodiversity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Past Relationship(s), What Have I Done, a lot of other characters not tagged, reimu is just tired, seija has no idea how love works
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:19:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27106351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sansinger/pseuds/Sansinger
Summary: Touhou? In college? Nothing can go wrong here
Relationships: Hakurei Reimu & Kirisame Marisa, Hijiri Byakuren/Toyosatomimi no Miko, Kijin Seija/Sukuna Shinmyoumaru, Kumoi Ichirin/Mononobe no Futo, Mononobe no Futo & Toyosatomimi no Miko, Reisen Udongein Inaba & Konpaku Youmu
Kudos: 14





	1. Welcome, Newcomer

**Author's Note:**

> I should probably not be posting this but I already saved this to drafts just to experiment with tags and I'm not letting this get deleted.  
> I already posted the first two chapters as a sneak-peak on my Tumblr (@sansinger, go follow me for general weirdness). I'll generally be working on this inbetween Dust and Twisted Words. If you're fellow HijiMiko trash check it out!  
> Also note: I have no idea if this is also a human AU. Probably not.

And so, we meet. Why you came here is none of my business. I am but the one telling the story. It’s all very objective from here on out. I know the students under me, as dean Yukari Yakumo, are just living their lives. Please excuse any of my harshness with this introduction- I promise my mood will not be overarching throughout. 

I should begin with some simple info, just so you don’t walk in blind.

The campus is in the middle of a block, surrounded on the outside by apartments. Here all the students live. If I do my job right, you will be able to figure out where everyone is. You should also be able to remember the names of the students I do mention, those on the tin and not. 

Alas, my rambling is not needed. You did not come here for it. You came for my story. And so, here it is.


	2. Daily College life

7 AM, already noisy outside.

Reimu was never one to have a decent sleep schedule. It’s practically a rule of college. Second year, and the beds were still as stiff and uncomfortable as always. 

Why was Reimu up even? Her earliest class wasn’t until 9- she’d been lucky enough not to get the 8 AM ones. It was probably that horrible sleep schedule once again. So, like Remilia, Reimu went outside.

Shocking.

Jo'on was on her phone in the hallway, texting off to who knows. “Gucci bitch” was what everyone referred to her as. She lived up to that nickname very, very well. Nobody else was out and about, which Reimu was pleasantly happy with.

The late August sun shone painfully. Leaving sunglasses inside was a grave mistake. The shrine maiden held her arm over her eyes, blocking out as much as possible. With not much else to do, she adjusted the bag on her shoulder into a more comfortable position and headed off to the library.

Marisa was there too, thankfully.

“Oh hey!” the witch exclaimed, seeing her friend open up the glass doors of the library.

“Hey Marisa…” Reimu replied, dropping her bag off in the cabinets by the door. “What are you doing up this early?”

“Got bored. Should probably be asking you the same.”

“Heh, twinsies. Same reason.” 

“Fun, fun.”

“Anyway, wanna grab something for breakfast in a bit?”

“Sure. I could go for that.” 

Trust me, it gets better (or worse) from here.


	3. The Text Chat Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world's in chaos so have a chapter

10:58 AM

YoumuK: Hey! Are you up yet?

ReiUI: Oh hey Youmu. Yeah, just got up.

YoumuK: So I needed to ask: the Moriya building is up west, right? Sorry if it’s a stupid question, I just cannot find my map.

ReiUI: It’s fine! Really. Let me check

11: 03

ReiUI: Yeah by the looks of it it is. There should be signs as well. I think my computer class is over in that building iirc. 

YoumuK: Alright, thanks Reisen! I have the one at 2, if that helps anything.

ReiUI: No worries! 

ReiUI: Mine’s the 3 o’clock class, so I’m right after you. I’m sure I could show you there if needed!

YoumuK: Oh thanks! Maybe we could meet for lunch? Around 12? If you’re available that is.

ReiUI: I am, so just meet me in the cafeteria. 

ReiUI: See you then!

\----

1:33

Crownprince: Did I ever comment on how much I hated the thin walls? Because I hate the thin walls.

Hijiri: Oh wow. What happened now?

Crownprince: Nothing bad, don't worry. Just don't need to always hear Futo and Tojiko having late night or midday TV binge sessions :/

Hijiri: You guys have TVs in your dorms???

Crownprince: They always allowed them???

Hijiri: Guess who's running back to grab hers this weekend

Crownprince: Lol

Crownprince: In the meantime feel free to come over to my room

1:54

Hijiri: Yup, will do!

Crownprince: Wait, right now?

1:59

Hijiri: Expect me there in ten minutes

Crownprince: I did not expect that but I will make popcorn


	4. Herbs and Moon Water

Marisa hadn’t been able to do much in the dorms. While at home she could light candles whenever she wanted, the implication of fire alarms which went off at least two times last year due to her gave everyone some new rules. So, it was time to get creative.

“You use...an app?”

“Yup!” Marisa replied, setting her phone down on the table. “Obviously not the most useful, but that’s chaos magic for you. Make the useless useful.”

“I’m not sure that’s quite how chaos magic works..” Reimu replied, moving back a chair to sit down.

“Whatever, low-budget magic then.”

"Fine, fine. Your digital candle is valid."

"Eh, whatever. Shall I make some tea? I have too many herbs to count in these cabinets and not enough jars to hold them all."

With a puzzled look, Reimu replied "Sure."

The local university witch was not lying.

When Marisa opened up one of the cabinets, nothing but jars lined it up. Mind you, this was a perfectly good food storage area. But herbs are more important. And jars. A witch can never have too many jars. Ask any.

"So, does french lavender sound good to you?" Marisa asked, pulling out one full of tiny little lavender pecks. "I used a ton for an old ritual, so I need to get rid of the rest. I want to get some crystals and make a spell jar in this! Don't worry- everything in this one cabinet is food safe."

Reimu nodded, resting her head in her hand. "So, what do all those herbs mean?"

"Glad you asked!" The witch replied, letting the boiler do its work. "For one, lavender is famous for calming someone down. Sleep, peace, all that good stuff. I have some basil which I sprinkle around as a good anti-theft charm. Rosemary and dill are nice for banishing, so I always keep some on hand in case anything goes horribly wrong. In my fridge I have some apples, corresponding for peace-"

"Wow, wow! You can use anything for anything, huh?"

"That would then have to take us to magic and occult theory, to which-"

_ Ding! _

"Oh, water's done!"

_ Thankfully! _

__ Marisa took out her strainer and cup, leaving Reimu to take a quick glance over Marisa's dorm. The room changed since last year, with the once empty nightstand in the corner now with a full plate (an actual dish) of crystals, a necklace with a rose on it strewn across the table, and of course, the cabinets. Marisa really  _ had  _ grown from being a beginner.

"So, what sort of spells do you do?"

Marisa turned around. "Talkative today, eh? Well here's a funny thing-"

Oh, she got it! Love spells.

"Most days I only have enough time or energy to spin my coffee in a certain way to 'bring good energy' and maybe give off a prayer, also known as a cry of help, to any deity of my choosing. Mostly Frigga now. But once Dionysus."

…. understandable.

"Anyway, here's your tea."

The shrine maiden took the cup, cupping it in her hands as Marisa got down to get another cabinet to make her own tea.

"So here's a fun fact. Most of my own tea water is actually moon water. That is, I leave it out overnight so the moon charges it!"

Reimu sipped her tea, replying "Moon water? It seems more practical to use actual water on the moon, ya know, for an extra boost."

Marisa shook her head slightly, saying "No, no. I would probably just suck it all with a straw if they ever found that, go up to the moon. Fight someone if I must for the sheer meme value. Otherwise, full moon or better blue moon water can substitute!"

Sheesh, where did she get  _ that _ idea from?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marisa is my witchcraft projecting character now  
> A̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶K̶e̶b̶e̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶'̶r̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶c̶l̶u̶e̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶f̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶A̶o̶3̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶'̶r̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶a̶u̶g̶h̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶A̶n̶u̶b̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶m̶p̶o̶s̶s̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶l̶i̶t̶e̶r̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶-̶


	5. Chapter 5: The Christmas Special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! This was a month of constant work in the making, so enjoy! Christmas music playlist recommended for *vibes*

Dear all,

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season! I'm inviting everyone who received this to the Christmas party I will be hosting on December 13th, at Youkai Drive 999, a dorm I think many of you will already be familiar with, at 8 PM. Please RSVP if you're coming!

-Aya

"Are you going?"

Reimu looked up from her noodle-like curled spot on the couch and looked to Marisa, holding her own copy of the invitation. "Heh, not sure."

“I’m probably going to go, just because I heard Miko and Byakuren plan to go down and don’t want to miss a party with them,” Marisa replied, setting the letter down. “Look. I know how much you now dislike Aya, I literally don’t even know why, but give this one time a shot, okay? Just once? For your friend?”

Reimu shook her head, sighing deeply and then nodding. “Alright, alright. But only for you, and don’t make me interact with her. Also, if Sanae shows up, tell me to hide.”

Marisa nodded back, holding out her hand. “Sounds like a deal!”

——

“Ugh, should’ve brought along a more durable coat…”

“Reimu! Just get inside already!”

Marisa grabbed her friend by the hand and near grabbed her, bringing her over the edge of the threshold and into the house. The mixed scents of pine and booze immediately hit them both, chatter just barely rising above the sound levels of the music. And already at eight!

Reimu let go off Marisa’s hand and quickly walked off into the kitchen, unfortunately passing by Aya.

“Oh hey! Welcome!”

Reimu sighed, turning around to face the ever-famous reporter and responding “Oh, yes, hi…”

“Glad so many could make it! Here,” Aya said back, fumbling with her pockets in search of her phone, “Quick selfie for the papers!”

Reimu gritted her teeth the most she could into a fake smile, letting it go the exact moment Aya walked away. Sigh, that one could never let go of a single chance of info or drama, it got on her nerves so badly.

“Ay, Reimu! Over here!”

She turned around to see Marisa from the buffet table signaling for her to come over from the other room, to which she obliged. Over by the wall was Miko- leg against a chair, her signature headphones replaced with some reindeer earmuffs- and Byakuren, standing up straight and simply waving as she saw Reimu come by.

“Oh hey! Sorry, I got a bit carried off for a second.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Marisa replied, setting down a plate which Reimu just noticed. “I only called you over to ask if you wanted anything. Food’s still cooking, but they’re just leaving the sweets out here to grab.”

Behind the two was some small chatter, followed by the audible slap of Miko’s sandals against the carpet.

“It’s not  _ technically  _ stealing. Cmon, you always have to obsess over something, it’s cute but you know what I mean.”

_ Oh boy, what bickering are Byakuren and Miko up to now? _

Reimu couldn’t focus on them long, the sound of the door swiftly opening and then slamming shut paired with the breathing of two tired runners distracted nearly the entire house.

It was Futo and Ichirin. Maybe it should’ve been expected. Those two had grown a small reputation for showing up late together doing god knows what- probably either studying and hanging out, but tell that to Aya and you’ll get a very expected reaction. 

The party didn’t take much mention for long, the next song came on and the chatter resumed as if it had never stopped.

The bag Futo brought along was left slung to the side, the newcomers heading off to the other side of the house- probably to find Byakuren and Miko, honestly. Reimu turned around to notice those two were gone. Must have gone running after their friends. 

——

“Hey, Ichirin! There you are!”

Byakuren called out to her friend, lightly pushing aside Suika in her path. Miko followed shortly, near constantly almost tripping on both her long cape and those sandals against the hardened marble floor.

“Uh, Miko, why are you wearing sandals still in the middle of winter?” Ichirin asked, not as much concerned to see her friend Byakuren. 

Miko laughed, replying in a pained tone (maybe slightly exaggerated), “These are the one good pair of shoes I own and I’m too stubborn to change my look.”

Byakuren sighed, wrapping her arm around Miko as if to hug her. “Well, besides that, all the food is in the front. Aya’s still cooking, but in the meanwhile-“

_ Beep, beep! _

Well, is it really a holiday if the fire alarm doesn’t go off once?

Aya shoved everyone aside, running around her house in a frenzy to not only turn off the alarm but also hopefully save the ham.

“Bad news, everyone! Ham’s burnt. What do you want from the pizza place?”

Ichirin and Futo squeezed through the crowd, now gathered around the front of Aya’s unbelievably tiny kitchen to the stairwell. It only led up to Aya’s room, a small little corridor with light brown walls. But it was the only space with nobody else around.

“Yikes, we show up and something immediately goes wrong.”

Futo sat down on the stairs, Ichirin following suit. “Oh yeah Futo, seems to happen every time.”

“I mean, you two showed up when my candle fell off the table!”

The two turned to see Marisa there too, hat lopsided. “Thank gods it was electric, but I don’t think you would mind, Futo.”

“That was one time!”

“Well, three times..” Ichirin giggled.

I don’t wish to explain all the inside jokes, but there is a reason “pyromaniac Futo” exists. Byakuren’s stuff surely remembers.

Futo sighed, kicking her leg and shaking her head. “When’s the food coming, anyway?”

Marisa turned to the kitchen, looking back and saying “Probably an hour. I already lost Reimu in the sea. Better order something for ourselves, the place must be crowded..”

“Oh, I can run down to Subway down the street!”

“Ay, Byakuren! Glad to see you escaped.”

Marisa held up her hand for a high five, Byakuren reciprocating with the weakest possible hand. 

Miko came running by, red solo cup in hand. Her reindeer headband was on the verge of falling off, the crown prince pushing it up every five seconds or so. “I’m here, I’m here!”

“Hey Miko!” Marisa responded, holding her hand for yet another awkward high five. “We’re just going to grab some Subway, crowds and stuff. Want anything?’

Miko pushed Marisa’s hand down (to great disappointment), slightly sarcastically replying “Get me away from this party.”

Byakuren nodded, saying “I mean, you can come get everything with me. We’ll only be gone for a few minutes.”

“I’ll take it.”

The two grabbed their coats off the nearby racks, Marisa fidgeting around with her gloves and looking around Aya’s house when something caught her eyes.

“Oh Ichirin~”

The blue-haired girl looked up from her phone, going “Huh?”

“Look above you!”

Ah, so Aya left some mistletoe above the stairway…

“Eh, why not-“

_ Kiss. _

Ichirin swiftly leaned over to Futo, and within a mere second she was back on her phone as if nothing happened. Futo just sat there, not taking much notice despite a small bit of blood already visibly rushing to her cheek. Marisa nodded slightly, only to be startled by the hysterics of Miko.

“Shesh, what got to you Byakuren! You’re as still as a statue! Hah!”

In fact, Byakuren was standing extremely still as an apparent witness to her friend kissing Futo of all people. You know, “pyromaniac Futo who Byakuren’s stuff knows extremely well”. That Futo!

Marisa couldn’t help but silently laugh along, the whole situation of the day felt tense and the witch just needed a little laugh. “Okay, you two should get going soon-“

_ Crash! Thud! _

__ Oh god, what now?

Marisa ran to the window and took a peek outside. At first what surprised her was the snow, when she went inside- maybe an hour ago?- the ground was still green, now blanketed. Her assumption was a large chunk had gathered on the roof and fell off somewhere, big chunks just made impacts like that.

“Cirno!”

Reimu came out of nowhere, rushing by everyone and right out the door. More than Marisa was willing to keep count of followed suit, only bringing more confusion. That little fairy had a reputation- maybe not the most  _ positive _ one overall, but it was hard not to love her. Just a dork, really.

“You guys stay here, I’ll see what’s going on.”

Ichirin got up out of her spot on the stairs, stretching slightly, heading out on her own outside to see what all the fuss was about. There seemed to be the faint noises of a commotion. Everyone (Marisa, Miko, Byakuren and Futo) looked at each other uneasily, just quietly sneaking onto their phones thinking the others wouldn’t notice.

Twenty minutes had passed before Marisa noticed, and only then it was because of the sound of sirens going closer and the door slamming.

“Ichirin! What’s going on?”

Ichirin leaned up against the wall, replying “Oh boy, you wouldn’t believe half the things out there.  _ Apparently, _ Aya wanted Cirno to do a little ‘stunt’ in which she came down off the roof. You can guess how that went...way too soon, now there’s medics coming. Ignore the red snow on your way out, it’s being taken care of.”

Sigh, could this day get much worse?

Miko shook her head, clearly tired and a tiny bit disturbed. “Wanna just leave? I’m starving now and I think we all can be sure everyone else is busy. I’ll pay for dinner.”

Everyone agreed unanimously, silently sneaking through Aya’s house and out the back door. The walk was silent- nobody really felt like speaking that night. 

Before anyone gets concerned and asks, yes, Cirno is fine. Just a few fractures, probably the nicer end of the possible injuries. One thing’s for certain though, nobody’s letting Aya host the parties from now on!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's okay Aya I still love you <3


End file.
